Chief Rex Reynolds announced today the results of the Huntsville Police Departmentís efforts to reduce the number of drunk drivers on our roads during the Memorial Day weekend. The Departmentís D.U.I. Task Force spearheaded the effort, with Officers from all three Department Precincts participating. Several announced traffic checkpoints were held, and several unannounced checkpoints were also held. The Officers were looking for unsafe and impaired drivers, with emphasis being placed on getting drunk drivers off of the road and reducing traffic crashes.

The weekend statistical period was from May 26 to May 29. The following activities were reported during this period:

This years arrests show a 76% increase when compared with the 2005 arrests (17 D. U. I. arrests). The increase may be attributed to the reinstatement of the D. U. I Task Force as a full time unit and the Departmentís emphasis this year on traffic safety.

Chief Reynolds wishes to stress again that driving under the influence is a very serious crime that will not be tolerated within our city.